Another month in England has begun, my name is Ksenya Gilova and I work for now as a volunteer in the Hope Now office in Southampton. I was asked to write a bit about myself (that you, dear people will know a bit about me) and in general how I had appeared in England. So, this is the story.
Originally I am from Cherkassy town, which is located in the central part of Ukraine. I was brought up in a non-Christian family. Interestingly when I found Jesus in my life it was only a year later that I was involved in the summer camps which were led by Hope Now. It was a sweet orphanage in Mihailovka. I think from that time God started to show me the way into children’s ministry. So God led me and blessed me with lovely years full of many blessings in the work with children. But the biggest one for now as I see in my life were my 6 years of missionary work Tajikistan.
Before I came to England I spent just one year in Ukraine as before this I was there – in the shining sun, with the endless fields and mountains of Tajikistan. It was a life changing experience for me when God taught me to trust Him in every day life, to strengthen my faith and to see the invisible as visible. It was hard physically to be there because of the conditions (no heating in winter, electricity for 2-3 hours in the early morning and in the evening, cuts in water), the pressure to be a woman in a Muslim country, some failures and disappointments at work – BUT still the best time of my life!
I worked in the wonderful NGO “Helping Hand” which mainly worked with children. We had small re-hab school for kids (age from 8-17) who would like to learn how to read and write and a small centre Oazis, where we had 40 orphans when I first arrived. The team had done great job to help those children to have better life. It was a real shame that the government had closed us just because they found out that we were a Christian organisation. In that country you can’t spread the Gospel so freely, you have to think and then speak with wisdom. Praise God most of our children from the centre were 17 at that time and the rest we put into Christian families to foster. I am very blessed to have contact with most of my kids. I love them very much even if they are not kids any more.
I left the country with a peace and sadness in my heart. To come back to Ukraine was such a difference. I wondered why so many people in the church do not use their skills or just the things they have in hand. God miraculously sent me to a job in a private firm, but I still felt that something was missing, you know. I prayed to God and made a decision to seek Him in small things and to praise Him through everything I do in my new work. Little by little I started to enjoy my time and it was great time to share His love with my non-Christian co-workers. God can always make good things in our life if we are willing and open for His work in us and through us.
This summer I helped with one camp which took place in Kompas Park. It was wonderful time there with a real presence of the Lord. On the last day, at night, I was praying to God under the dark night sky scattered with the diamonds of stars (you have to come to KP and see it) about my new working year. In a while I had a surprise invitation from Alla and Jon to come to England and to help in the office and then during summer to help with the camps. It sounded great, but I was not sure that it was what God wanted from me. So I took time to pray about it. I received a few signs, but still was not sure if it was just my feeling or God’s. And it was so funny (God knows how to speak) when one lady, who had no idea about my prayers or thoughts just said that it would be good, if I were to work in Southampton, and…… in just a few weeks I came to Southampton.
Here I am in the new place. In January by God’s mercy I will go to India for a short mission trip to work with street kids in Calcutta. I would really will appreciate your prayers and, if God puts it in your heart, financial support. As each in our team has to raise money, some of which will cover travel expenses and some for the work of the people there.
Wishing you to have a good Christmas time filled with the joy and peace! And may New Year be a great adventure with the Lord for you!!!!!!!
01.05.2012 Pray for the music group Zozulenka, and their teacher Natalya, as they busily practice for their return tour here in November
02.05.2012 Pray for preparations that are being made for the cycle tour this summer, and for opportunities for the participants to share their faith as they cycle around the villages
03.05.2012 Pray for Brenda and Ksenya as they speak today at the meeting of the Oasis Group at Locks Heath Church
04.05.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they attend the Baptist Assembly annual meeting in London until 7th
05.05.2012 Pray for our students at Universities and Colleges as they complete their studies for this semester and take their end of year exams
06.05.2012 Pray for all those who receive food packages through the feeding programme, that no needy person/family is overlooked
07.05.2012 Pray for David John as he completes his preparations for the teaching sessions at the Pastor’s Conference next week
08.05.2012 Pray that we will have full teams of volunteers for all the camps that will take place this summer at Kompas Park
09.05.2012 Pray for the young people from Rainbow House in South Africa, and for Margaret Ferguson as she supports them in their studies
10.05.2012 Pray for the work of the mobile medical unit, and for Dr Doreshenko to fully recover following his recent illnesses
11.05.2012 Pray for the ongoing support of the Mission Fund, which undergirds all the various projects that we have, that adequate funds will be received each month
12.05.2012 Pray for Larisa and the work she does with the family support group, which encourages mutual sharing and prayer
13.05.2012 Pray that the Humanitarian Aid system that we use to send money to Ukraine becomes quicker and more efficient
14.05.2012 Pray for Anastasia Vovk as she plans camps in various villages around Cherkassy, and pray she finds a team of helpers to assist her
15.05.2012 Pray for safety in travel for Jon, David Reddaway and David John as they travel to Ukraine for the Bible School Graduation and for Ksenya as she returns to Ukraine to help Alla at Kompas Park
16.05.2012 Pray for the ongoing work of Cherkassy’s first sheltered accommodation, especially now plans to renovate the house have been drawn up and the costing received
17.05.2012 Pray for the Church twinning programme, that more UK Churches will offer to twin with a Ukrainian Church for mutual support and encouragement
18.05.2012 Remember before God all our children in cottage homes, thanking God for the security and love they receive from their foster parents as they grow up in these Christian families
19.05.2012 Pray for the work party travelling to Ukraine today, to prepare Kompas Park for the summer season
20.05.2012 As Jon, David and David return to the UK, pray for the newly graduated students as they take up their responsibilities back in their churches
21.05.2012 Pray for the children in the orphanages we support, and for Larisa and Misha as they oversee our work in them
22.05.2012 Give thanks for all our volunteers who come in and help with the monthly mail out, and do other jobs so willingly, often without being asked
23.05.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali to be refreshed as they take some time off together and have a break
24.05.2012 Pray for ex-prisoners who are now leading churches and serving in their communities that they will be faithful to what God has called them to do
25.05.2012 Pray for the young people in our pre-independence homes, that they grow in confidence as they study and plan for their future
26.05.2012 Pray for Vika Lavrenko and Stanislav Dyachenko, sponsored children who celebrate their birthdays today, also for the quiz at Ashley BC this evening in support of our work
27.05.2012 Thank God for our Board of Directors, whose support of the work of Hope is so encouraging; pray especially for the two new Directors to become more familiar with Board matters.
28.05.2012 Pray for Alla Kostyunina and her team as they prepare in detail for the planned camp activities at Kompas Park during the summer
29.05.2012 Pray for Misha in
all the work he does at Alpha House and in the Ukrainian Office of Hope Now; pray also for the plans he and Lena have in using Alpha House as a summer day camp in August
30.05.2012 Pray for Vlad Serdyuk, one of
our sponsored children, as he celebrates his birthday today
31.05.2012 Pray for Cyndee and Darrel Knight and the Hope Now supporters in America, especially in their plans to visit Kompas Park this summer
